Air pump with air noise reduction structure

ABSTRACT

An air pump operably by a motor to pump air is disclosed to include a body, an airbag unit, which is mounted in the body has multiple airbags each having an air chamber, a lifting mechanism rotatable by the motor to move the airbags to pump air, and an air control unit coupled to the airbag unit for exhaust of air from the airbags, said air control unit comprising a partition plate having inlet holes and outlet holes respectively disposed in air communication with the air chambers of the airbag of the airbag unit, an air control valve having inlet flaps to control air into or stop out via said inlet holes of the partition plate, and a top cap having a cap body formed an exhaust hole, air intake tunnels in communication between the inlet flaps and outer lateral peripheral of the cap body and opened air intake openings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to air pumps and more particularly, to anair pump having an improved air noise reduction structure.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional air pump is known comprising an airbag unit, whichdefines therein a plurality of air chambers, a partition plate, whichhas inlet holes and outlet holes respectively disposed in communicationwith the air chambers, a control valve, which has air inlet flaps andoutlet flaps corresponding to the inlet holes and the outlet holes, atop cap, which has air inlets and air outlets respectively correspondingto the air inlet flaps and the outlet flaps, and an exhaust hole. Theairbags are moved to suck in air through the air inlets and to force airout of the exhaust hole.

The aforesaid prior art air pump has a complicated structure formed of abig number of parts, the noise of air suck in and/or air exhaust outfrom the air pump too laud, resulting in an uncomfortable in use;further, the conventional air pump complicated installation procedureand high manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances inview. It is one object of the present invention to provide an air pump,which has an air inlet structure for reducing the noise during an airsucking into the air pump. It is another objects of the presentinvention to provide an air pump, which has an air outlet structure forreducing the noise during an air exhausting out the air pump.

To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the airpump is coupled to a motor and adapted to pump air upon rotation of themotor. The air pump comprises a body; an airbag unit mounted in thebody, the airbag unit comprising an airbag, the airbag having an airchamber; a lifting mechanism rotatable by the motor, the liftingmechanism having an arm connected to the airbag and adapted to move theairbag to pump air; and an air control unit coupled to the airbag unit,said air control unit comprising a partition plate having an inlet holedisposed in air communication with the air chamber of the airbag of theairbag unit, an air control valve having an inlet flap to control airinto or stop out via said inlet hole of the partition plate, and a topcap having a cap body formed an exhaust hole, an air intake tunnelradially in communication between the inlet flap and an outer lateralperipheral of the cap body and opened an air intake opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an air pump in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plain view in an exploded status of the air pump accordingto the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view in an exploded status of a part of the airpump according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a part of the air pump according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is another exploded view of a part of the air pump according tothe preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is still another exploded view of a part of the air pumpaccording to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top end assembly view of the air pump according to thepreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1˜6, an air pump in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention is shown movable with the shaft M2of a motor M to pump air.

The air pump comprises a body formed of a holder 10 and a cover 20, anairbag unit 30, a lifting mechanism formed of a crank 40 and a rotarymember 50, and an air control unit formed of a partition plate 70 and anair control valve 80 and a top cap 90.

The holder 10 is affixed to the motor M with two screw bolts B1, havinga holder body 11 defining a receiving open chamber 12, a through hole 14cut through the center of the bottom wall thereof in communication withthe receiving open chamber 12 for the passing of the shaft M2 of themotor M, and three mounting portions (mounting holes) 19.

The cover 20 has a cover body 21 covered on the holder body 11 of theholder 10 to close the receiving open chamber 12, three mountingportions (mounting holes) 29 formed in the cover body 21 correspondingto the mounting portions 19 of the holder 10, and three airbag receivingportions (airbag receiving holes) 23 formed in the cover body 21.

The airbag unit 30 has a mounting plate 31, and three airbags 33connected to the mounting plate 31 and respectively received in theairbag receiving portion 23 of the cover 20. Each airbag 33 has an airchamber 34, a coupling portion 35.

The crank 40 has a shaft 41, which has an axial hole 42, three arms 43extended from the shaft 41 and respectively connected to the couplingportions 35 of the airbags 33 of the airbag unit 30. Each arm 43 has ahead 45 coupled to the coupling hole 35 of one airbag 33.

The rotary member 50 has a base 51 connected to the shaft M2 of themotor M for rotation with the shaft M2, and an oblique shaft 53obliquely extended from the base 51 and coupled with a steel ball 55 tothe axial hole 42 of the shaft 41 of the crank 40.

The partition plate 70 has a body 71 connected to the top side of themounting plate 31 of the airbag unit 30, three inlet holes 73 and threeoutlet holes 74 respectively disposed in air communication with the airchambers 34 of the airbags 33 of the airbag unit 30, and three mountingportions 79 respectively fastened to the mounting portions 29 of thecover 20.

The air control valve 80 has a valve body 81 fastened to the partitionplate 70, three inlet flaps 83 and three outlet flaps 84 respectivelyprotruded from the valve body 81 and adapted to close/open the inletholes 73 and outlet holes 74 of the partition plate 70, and threemounting portions 89.

The top cap 90 has a cap body 91 mounted on the air control valve 80, achamber 92 defined in the cap body 91 corresponding to the outlet flaps84 of the air control valve 80, an exhaust barrel 93 formed an exhausthole 94 in air communication with the chamber 92, three air intaketunnel 95 of penetrating holes radially in communication between thechamber 92 and an outer lateral peripheral of the cap body 91 and openedan air intake opening 96, each air intake tunnel 95 intake the air fromthe corresponding inlet flap 83 individually, three flap rooms 97, threeair outlet tunnels 98 formed of a continuous arched shape route in aircommunication with the chamber 92 and exhaust hole 94, each outlettunnel 98 exhaust the air to the exhaust hole 94, and three mountingportions 99.

Further, three screw bolts B3 are inserted through the mounting portions99, 89, 79 and 29 of the top cap 90, air control valve 80, partitionplate 70 and cover 20 and fastened to the mounting portions 19 of theholder 10 to affix the related parts together.

Referring to FIG. 5, when the motor M is started to rotate the rotarymember 50, the oblique shaft 53 of the rotary member 50 drives the crank40, causing the arms 43 of the crank 40 to reciprocate the airbags 33alternatively.

When one airbag 33 is moved downwards, it breathes in air, and theassociating outlet flap 84 is forced by the suction force to close theassociating outlet hole 74 of the partition plate 70, and at the sametime the associating inlet flap 83 curved apart the opening of the airintake tunnel 95 for allowing air to pass through the associating inlethole 73 into the associating air chamber 34.

The air intake opening 96 opened on the outer lateral peripheral of thecap body 91 capable of sucking more air at a predetermine time, and theelongated air intake tunnel 95 let the air flow smooth; therefore, theair pump achieve reducing the air noise during air suck into the airpump.

On the contrary, when one airbag 33 is moved upwards, the associatinginlet flap 83 is forced by air pressure to stop the wall of the chamber92 and to further block the passage between the air intake tunnel 95 andthe associating air chamber 34, and at the same time the associatingoutlet flap 84 is forced by the air pressure to open the associatingoutlet hole 74 of the partition plate 70 for enabling air to passthrough the air outlet tunnel 98 of the top cap 90 and the chamber 92 ofthe top cap 90 to the outside via the exhaust hole 94.

Because the air outlet tunnel 98 is formed of a continuous arched shaperoute, it reduce the air friction to the inner wall of the air outlettunnel 98, therefore, the air pump achieve reducing the noise of the airflow during air exhaust out the air pump via going through the airoutlet tunnels 98 of the top cap 90.

In the aforesaid embodiment of the present invention, said top cap andpartition plate can made integrally to less the assembly and reduce thecost; further, the inlet flap and outlet flap are individual forconvenient replacement; further more, the top cap can further comprisesa plurality of auxiliary intake holes in communication with said airintake tunnel to enabling more reduction or air noise during sucking airinnerwards.

As indicated above, the air pump of the present invention has thefollowing benefits:

1. The air intake structure of the air pump capable of reducing the airnoise during an air sucking into the air pump.

2. The air outlet structure of the air pump capable of reducing the airnoise during an air exhausting out the air pump.

1. An air pump coupled to a motor and adapted to pump air upon rotationof said motor, the air pump comprising: a body; an airbag unit mountedin said body, said airbag unit comprising an airbag, said airbag havingan air chamber; a lifting mechanism rotatable by said motor, saidlifting mechanism having an arm connected to said airbag and adapted tomove said airbag to pump air, and an air inlet in air communication withthe air inlet of said airbag; an air control unit coupled to said airbagunit, said air control unit comprising a partition plate having an inlethole disposed in air communication with the air chamber of the airbag ofthe airbag unit, an air control valve having an inlet flap to controlair into or stop out via said inlet hole of the partition plate, and atop cap having a cap body formed an exhaust hole, an air intake tunnelradially in communication between the inlet flap and an outer lateralperipheral of the cap body and opened an air intake opening.
 2. The airpump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air intake tunnel of the topcap is formed of a penetrating hole.
 3. The air pump as claimed in claim1, wherein said top cap further having a plurality of auxiliary intakeholes in communication with said air intake tunnel.
 4. The air pump asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said partition plate of the air control unitfurther having an outlet hole in air communication with said the airchambers of the airbag unit.
 5. The air pump as claimed in claim 4,wherein said air control valve further having an outlet flap forclosing/opening the outlet hole of said partition plate of the aircontrol unit.
 6. The air pump as claimed in claim 5, wherein said topcap of the air control unit further having a flap room for receivingsaid outlet flap of the air control valve.
 7. The air pump as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said top cap further having an air outlet tunnel in aircommunication between said chamber and exhaust hole.
 8. The air pump asclaimed in claim 7, wherein said outlet tunnel of the top cap is formedof a continuous arched shape route.
 9. The air pump as claimed in claim1, wherein said top cap further having a chamber concaved from a bottomof the cap body, said chamber being provided receiving of the aircontrol valve.
 10. The air pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said topcap and partition plate are made integrally.